Acts of Treason
by EllePepper
Summary: Cyberman AU What if Ianto had a secret more dangerous than Lisa? How far will Jack go to save him? At what cost? And what price will Ianto pay to save Torchwood and repay the treason he has committed? Reviews needed. May continue series if wanted.
1. The First Betrayal

CHAPTER ONE

Notes

AU- What if there was something more dangerous than a Cyberman in Torchwood three? How far would Jack go to save Ianto? Just what is Jack capable of? And what is Ianto's secret?

#

**I do not own Torchwood. Captain Jack and all the others are not mine, never will be mine. No money is being made, no permission is asked, only forgiveness.**

**I don't know how but it will all work out in the end**

**Reviews gladly wanted.**

**WARNING!**

**THIS FIC IS DARK! There will be some bad things done. This plot bunny wouldn't leave me alone. And it boils down to this: If Hartman was as bad as we are led to believe why didn't she have a contingency plan? **

CHAPTER TWO

Scene

"Execute her or I will execute you both."

Ianto still could hear those words, feel the cold steel as Jack pressed the Webly into his skull. He could still hear the staccato gunshots that echoed on the walls and celing of Lisa's cell. He didn't think of it as a room, he called the large dank room what it was, a cell, a prison. He still hated Jack. But he still loved Jack too. Charging in where mere mortals feared to tread. Pulling him back from the brink. Rescuing him from the end of the world, and from death itself. Even if he didn't want to be rescued.

Ianto sat up in bed, or at least he tried. His legs wouldn't move, and he pried open his eyes. Cold stone and plexiglass stared back at him, punctuated by the howls of Janet a few cells down. His legs wouldn't move because he was scrunched on the slab in the cell, his heels against the plexi-glass wall, his knees against rough stone. It all came flooding back. He was in the cells.

For one second he had let himself believe that what had happened was just a dream, but as he looked down at himself, still coated in blood, he knew it wasn't. That meant that he had been dragged here after Lisa's death.

His heart clenched. He wasn't sure what he was hoping for. Death? Retcon? He wasn't sure which one was the better option. But he knew that Jack was Torchwood. And according to Torchwood those were his only two options.

Of course, Jack wasn't one for following the rules, and Ianto knew better than anyone what Jack was capable of when angry. He had read of more than a few 'questioning' sessions with prisoners run by Jack bloody Harkness. Of course none of them were this decade, but in his opinion, once capable, always capable.

Ianto tried to supress the shudder as he heard the door open. Jack was standing on the other side of the clear wall, hands on his hips in that pose that made him seem so much bigger than life.

"Up!" The voice was as cold as the gun that had been against his skin earlier. It pulled him from his despair made his heart hammer in his chest. He could hear the barely-controlled fury behind it.

It took Ianto a moment to orient himself enough to stand. When he finally stood it took him two tries to get all the way to his feet, his legs not wanting to do what he wanted. His mouth was dry and tinny, proof that Owen had drugged him. "Turn around." Jack's voice was steady. "On your knees."

Ianto knelt there in the cell, wondering if this was going to be his steel-jacketed retirement party. He did notice that the Webly was still in the holster. But if Jack really wanted to kill him there were so many other ways.

"Cross your ankles, hands behind your head."

Ianto sighed, recognizing the position as one used for prisoners to be cuffed. He didn't know if the sigh was relief or frustration, maybe both? He was being moved. He wasn't sure how he felt about it. He wasn't sure how he felt about anything right now. All he knew was that this man this beautiful, monsterous, lovely, hateful man had killed his Lisa.

"Owen." The name was as much a command as anything could be. In that powerful way that Jack had of commanding them to do their job and giving them the strength to at the same time, often with only their name.

Owen waived the scanner over him. "He's in shock, a little worse for wear, but nothing immediately fatal." Ianto thought he could hear disappointment in his voice. "No explosives, no failsafes, and as far as I can see, no augmentations."

"Good."

Ianto knew that clipped tone. Jack was all business, the cold, clinical man who could be so dispassionate about things instead of the raging monster who had nearly killed him earlier. Ianto heard a gun click, and realized that Owen had drawn his sidearm. Jack approached and Ianto felt something cold slip around his wrists and lock securely.

"Stand up slowly." Jack applied pressure to the arms to help him shift his weight properly since his center of balance was so far forward.

"I'll take it from here Owen."

"Protocol Jack."

"Damn protocol Owen." Jack's voice was tired. "I'm just taking him upstairs to get him washed and changed. I will meet you in the interrogation room."

"Remember Jack, he's a traitor, not your god-damned tea-boy."

Ianto remained still, overly conscious of Jack still holding on to him, and knowing just how fast on the draw Jack could be.

"If we get to the showers and you behave I will let you shower yourself."

Ianto nodded but didn't speak. He didn't know what to say. He was still trying to process. Why wasn't he dead?

Jack helped him up the flights of stairs to the hub and marched him through the hub. The others had the good grace to look away. When they arrived at the showers Ianto saw things laid out. A pair of jeans, a pair of pants, a pull over shirt, a jumper, slip-on shoes. All of these were standard policy for this situation, nothing he could use to injure himself with.

Jack had stopped in a dry patch facing the mirror. "Kneel." Ianto did, mirroring the position from earlier.

"This is how it is going to go. You are going to shower and change. Then you are going to go out into the next room and wait for me."

"Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"We have a few more things to do before we decide your fate Ianto. You really fucked it up this time."

Ianto felt the cuffs slide off his wrists and stood to his feet slowly. He heard Jack walk out of the room and caught just a whiff of him as he passed by.

"I really hope I don't have to lose you Ianto."

#

CHAPTER THREE

It was nearly a half hour later when Ianto stood in

It was nearly a half hour later when Ianto stood in front of the sink looking at himself. He had washed himself as well as the limited supplies allowed to him let him. And he had basked in the hot water as long as he dared. Now he stood, leaning on the sink looking at himself in the mirror. If he was honest with himself, even clean, he looked like death warmed up. And for now, he really was. In that statistical limbo between working at Torchwood and Death by Torchwood. No worse, the limbo between working for Torchwood and Execution by Torchwood.

Ianto tried not to kid himself. Jack was wary of taking that much time, it tended to leave the victim in a vegetative state for a long period, and there was always the risk of seizure or stroke, not to mention flashback psychosis if the dose failed.

He noticed that the razor left for him was an electric. Again, standard policy. Nothing they could use to hurt themselves or others. He shaved, still not able to put himself into those dispassionate phrases. To him it was still 'the accused' not 'me." Jack had at least done away with the standard Torchwood pullover in favor of something from Ianto's closet.

Finally, when even he couldn't find anything to fix he came out, noticing the cuffs on one of the benches, he stood next to them, arms held stiffly, waiting for Jack.

Jack appeared, Ianto still wasn't sure how, but this time the sudden appearance sent a shiver down his spine. Jack stayed back a moment to see what Ianto would do. Ianto forced himself to stay still. It wouldn't, he reminded himself, do any good to run. This bastard would just find him and drag him back. He still had questions.

"I'll dispense with the shackles and leave you some dignity." Jack said, his voice not as cold as it had been. Ianto could smell the pheremones, and the spicy after shave Jack used, and realized that Jack had showered too. Jack didn't look any better than Ianto did. His eyes were hurt, his skin was still pale from the multiple deaths and he was still favoring just a touch. Ianto couldn't tell if it was ribs or knee, but he was walking gingerly.

"Hands in front, palms together."

Ianto complied.

"Lace your fingers."

Ianto did, watching as Jack slipped the Anti-weevil clamps around his wrists. Torchwood's normal pollicy in this case would have been to have the prisoner hold their arms out from the shoulders, finger-tips and elbows touching, with their arms crossed, the wrists would then be locked together. That was usually followed by a pair of leg irons. But that made it really hard to move, and the corridors at torchwood three were windy.

"Thank you" Ianto's voice was soft, and he was surprised it was as full as it was. It was bad enough that he would be walked back through the hub, but the traditional 'war criminal' posture would have made it worse.

"Don't thank me yet, Ianto. There are a lot of things we still have to do."

He nodded and turned when Jack gestured for him.

"Interrogation?" Ianto asked, hoping he had quashed the terror in his voice.

"Yes. You know the way. I know it goes without saying, so I will say it only once. Any attempt at escape will be met with lethal force."

"I know, sir."

"Good." Jack's hand lingered on the back of his head a moment before he squeezed Ianto's shoulder. "Even in my time Ianto, there was no cure." The words were so low that Ianto was barely sure he had caught them. "I'm sorry it used your love for her like that. She didn't deserve that, and neither did you."

Ianto turned and headed back down through the Hub, and stopped at the door of Interrogation. He wasn't quite sure what to expect. Jack opened the door. Owen was sitting near the table. Jack's standard seat was there, a neat file in front of it, across from Jack's seat was the one that Ianto knew he would take. Jack gestured for him to sit.

Owen checked him over again. Just a cursory check Ianto knew. All by the numbers. When he was satisfied he settled Ianto in his seat and placed a small box on the table.

From his new position Ianto could read the heading on the folder as Jack put aside his coat and sat down. His webly was on the table between himself and Owen.

Torchwood Internal Review: Subject: Jones, Ianto. The file said.

Finally it hit home for Ianto. He had really fucked up. This was a full review. There were only a couple of options, and since he was a Traitor, that boiled down to two. Death or Retcon. Of course, Ianto knew he could skip this all together, knew that Jack had to ask him that question.

#

CHAPTER FOUR

TX-17

"Torchwood Review, 12 May 2006, Subject: Ianto Jones, Archivist Torchwood Three." Jack's voice was soleumn. "Charged with Treason against the crown, Aiding and abetting an enemy to the crown, Insubordination, Defiance, and Defiance with reckless Abandon. In the room are the Accused, Ianto Jones, Owen Harper, Medical Officer, and Captain Jack Harkness, Leader of Torchwood Three."

Ianto expected some of it, he knew the proceedure, but he had never expected to hear Jack utter those words, never expected to be the one on the other side of the table.

"So far, Mr Jones has not displayed any further threat to himself or the other members of Torchwood, it is in consideration of that that he has been brought in without force or drug." Jack stated clearly for the record.

"Mr Jones." The blue eyes captured him. "You do understand the severity of the crimes named?"

"I do."

"Mr Jones, it is your choice, at this point, you can abstain from this proceeding, which is your right, and would immediately enforce the proscribed penalty set forth in the Torchwood handbook." Jack held up a hand to stop reply. "In this instance, because of the grevious nature of the crime, and the Defiance with Abandon charge, and because of the length of service to Torchwood, the only proscribed judgement at this time would be death, to be carried out within forty-eight hours."

Ianto had to wonder how much of himself Jack had to kill to get those words out. A moment ago he had been toying with the idea of saving himself the steps he knew would be coming next. Just taking the punishment dished out. But hearing Jack spell it out so clearly, so succinctly, it frightened him.

"Do you wish to continue?"

Ianto was silent.

"Mr Jones?" Owen had to remind himself of Ianto's treason. Had to clamp down on his feelings to be as dispassionate as he was. "Do you wish to continue?"

Owen's voice was strained. He hated this, Ianto could read it in every fiber of his being. He hated having to be an accessory. But the choice was Ianto's. He could take the easy option. He could say no, and Jack would take him out and kill him. If he was lucky, Jack would make it clean, and if he was really lucky, Jack would make sure he never saw it coming.

Ianto wasn't actually sure that Jack was breathing. "Yes, I'll continue."

Jack let out the breath he had been holding.

Ianto hadn't been expecting to say that, but the shattered, haunted look in Jack's eyes made him think twice about forcing Jack to kill him, or at least forcing him to do it without any cause.

"Owen." The single word was a softer version of the command that Jack had given at the cells.

Owen put his hand on the small box. Ianto tried not to look at it. He knew what it was. Torchwood's most secret weapon against treason. Tx-17, Truth serum.

"Have you been exposed to Tx-17?" Owen asked as he brought out the cord and alcohol pad.

"Yes.' Ianto's voice shook. "Only once."

"How much?"

"Standard Level 1 dose." Ianto said.

"Any bad reactions?"

"Just vivid nightmares."

Jack's voice was flat. "The doctor will administer a level two dose of Tx17, which, when interacting with human blood chemistry produces pain at every nerve cluster when the body reacts to a lie. The greater the lie, or evasion, the greater the pain."

"Are you still certain that you want to continue?"

Ianto nodded. It was too late to turn back.

"I am administering a solution of 20% Tx17 in in 10 CC of saline."

Owen opened the box to reveal the vial of bright blue serum. Ianto watched as he mixed it with the Saline before finding a vein.

"I'm sorry Ianto."

Ianto nodded. Prepared for the pinch he kept himself from flinching. He put his head down a moment, teeth clenched as the serum began to work.

"Ianto."

Ianto raised his head to look at Jack.

"I need you to answer the questions truthfully."

"Now you tell me," Ianto said with a laugh.

Jack's cold demenor cracked for a moment and he smiled.

"Is your name Ianto Jones?"

"Yes." Ianto knew they started with easy questions.

"Did you work for Torchwood Tower?"

"Yes."

"Were you at Canary Wharf?"

"Yes." Ianto screamed. He'd forgotten the pain of this stuff.

"No." Ianto said finally. "I was Awol that day."

"Why were you not in your assigned area?"

"I-" Ianto closed his eyes, the pain was making them tear up. "I-"

"Ianto, I need you to give me a true answer." Jack said.

Owen was holding one of his wrists limply, checking his pulse while he kept an eye on the scanner. "Jack, his heart rate is increasing, no danger yet."

"C'mon Ianto. True answer and the pain stops."

"Can't"

"Why?"

"I can't." Ianto forced against it. "I can't tell you."

"Ianto." Jack's voice was back to the command he always knew.

"Jack! Back off." Owen was trying to calm Ianto down.

"No, Owen." The raspy voice almost certainly couldn't be Ianto's. "I have to."

"Jack, if this doesn't stop soon you may not have to decide."

Ianto took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before saying, "Program Blue Shield."

"What is Blue shiled?"

"HM project, TW-147234. Target, infiltrate, destroy."

"Who was your target?"

"You are not Authorized." Ianto's voice cracked as the pain flared again. "You are not Authorized.

"Who?" By now Jack was standing looming over Ianto. "I am the Leader of Torchwood, I order you to tell me."

"No-"

"IANTO!

"You!" Ianto screamed, then slumped against the table barely breathing.

Ianto sat with his head against the table for a while. He concentrated on keeping his breathing even until the pain subsided.

"Did you rescue a converted human from Torchwood tower?" Jack's voice was flat. Soft. Deadly.

"Yes."

"What was your intention in rescuing her?"

"Primarily to save her," Ianto said, his voice much quieter. "I hoped she could be unconverted."

"Secondary?"

"To uphold the program orders."

"Who did you report to?"

Ianto shook his head. He bit his lip to keep from whimpering. Meanwhile he was screaming at himself to trust Jack, but the words wouldn't come out.

"Ianto."

"Please, just give me the antidote, It's a deep Program, it will auto trigger the drug."

"Is there anything else pertaining to the cyberman in my base that I need to know, anything directly related to Lisa?"

"I loved her Captain. I just wanted to protect her. They held her over me. Even before Canary Wharf, They threatened to send her away to make me take the training."

Ianto had spoken without pain so the Captain knew it was the truth. "Get him the antidote."

"What are you going to do?"

"Work on the deep Programming."


	2. Cold Facts

CHAPTER ONE

Notes

AU- What if there was something more dangerous than a Cyberman in Torchwood three? How far would Jack go to save Ianto? Just what is Jack capable of? And what is Ianto's secret?

#

**I do not own Torchwood. Captain Jack and all the others are not mine, never will be mine. No money is being made, no permission is asked, only forgiveness.**

**I don't know how but it will all work out in the end**

**Reviews gladly wanted.**

**WARNING!**

**THIS FIC IS DARK! There will be some bad things done. This plot bunny wouldn't leave me alone. And it boils down to this: If Hartman was as bad as we are led to believe why didn't she have a contingency plan? **

CHAPTER TWO

The cold facts

CHAPTER THREE

The project

Jack sat at his desk, staring out at the hub. He knew what he had to do, but he didn't relish it. He had to work on the deep program. But the others deserved to know what they were dealing with. And they deserved to know what it would take to deal with this program.

They had all come to him individually when he had put Ianto in the cells, asking, begging for his life. Tosh even brought up her past with Unit. He hated what he was going to have to do, but he couldn't have his team misunderstand him, he couldn't have them hate him for this. Not this time.

"Owen, could you come up here please?" Jack had used the comm. A rare occurance inside the hub.

"What is it?"

"I need you to get me a couple of sedatives ready. Strong enough to knock out someone under heavy control." Jack closed his eyes a moment looking back through his memories. "Something fast-acting, his system reacts like he's on PCP when threatened.

"You think Ianto is telling the truth."

"I know he is. I was part of the Deep Program. In fact, I was the guinea pig."

"You know how to break it?"

"Yes." Owen just looked at him. He didn't hear that tone of voice very often.

"But?"

"The question isn't whether I can break it, the question is whether I can break it and keep him sane. This sort of program was shelved in the eighteen hundreds because it has a bad tendency to fry your brain." Jack was silent again. "And the way to break it might kill him."

"So you don't want to kill him?"

"Not if I don't have to." Jack smiled. "What would you have done for her?" Jack didn't even say her name. He knew owen knew whom he was speaking of. "And if she had still told you she was fine? What would you have done? Even if some part of you knew she was gone, if they said you could have her back what would you be capable of?"

"Men in glass houses?"

Jack nodded.

"When you have the sedatives I want you to gather everyone in the conference room. I'm going down to get Ianto."

It seemed like only a few minutes to Jack before the entire team was assembled in the conference room. Ianto came up without cuffs.

"Jack?" Ianto seemed surprised when Jack simply gestured to his seat.

"Sit. There is a lot to talk about."

#

CHAPTER FOUR

The conversation

The whole team was sitting around the table looking at Jack, some, like Owen, had a bit of hatred for Ianto still, the others were worried, concerned, and a little surprised to find a guarded but unshackled Ianto. Jack finally cleared his throat and started talking.

"Owen and I started a Torchwood review for Ianto." Jack held up his hand. "We just wanted to see if there was anything else dangerous that he had brought in, and he doesn't talk to us."

"So you took the choice away from him." Tosh was the one he had expected to respond. Gwen was still sitting there a little perplexed.

"It's ok Tosh." Ianto put a hand on her arm. "I was expecting it."

Ianto, as if on cue turned to Gwen. They gave me an alien truth serum. It makes things...difficult if you try to tell a lie." Ianto wasn't quite sure why they were there. He knew by rights now he should be dead at least twice over. Once for the betrayal with-her. The wound still so fresh he has to remind himself that what was killed was not the woman he loved. The second, well before that was the project. Blue shield. He had been warned about protocol for discovery. If it looked like he would jeopardize the program he would be executed with extreme prejudice.

"So what? You want us to decide what to do with him? So we have to decide protocol now?" Tosh was slightly hysterical that Jack would put such onus on them.

"The truth serum revealed a more dangerous threat."

He nodded to Owen who hit the CCTV recording and moved over to hover close by, sedative ready.

Ianto took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before saying, "Program Blue Shield."

"What is Blue shiled?"

"HM project, TW-147234. Target, infiltrate, destroy."

"Who was your target?"

"You are not Authorized." Ianto's voice cracked as the pain flared again. "You are not Authorized.

"Who?" By now Jack was standing looming over Ianto. "I am the Leader of Torchwood, I order you to tell me."

"No-"

"IANTO!

"You!"

Ianto's eyes had glazed, and he was staring into the distance.

"This is the danger. This is a level one defensive action. They get progressively more violent as they escalate."

Owen hovered and Jack took a single step toward Ianto who started to lunge over the table. A moment later he slumped against it as the sedative Owen had given him rendered him unconscious.

"Blue shield is a program instituted under the HM mark."

"Her Majesty?" It was Owen that figured it out first.

"Yes. And unfortunately, she herself, scrapped this project. And the addendum for this order is that anyone subjected to it is to be killed as soon as Torchwood has any knowledge of it, along with anyone who protects them, and anyone involved in the programming."

All eyes were on Ianto.

"Are you going to?" To his surprise it was Gwen who asked that.

"We have two choices." Jack said. "The first is that we kill him, quickly, before has a chance to follow his orders." Jack held up a hand. "The second is that I try to break the program."

"Why are you asking us?"

"Breaking the program isn't easy, it isn't pretty, and it can do more damage than good." Jack sighed. "I won't lie to you. The procedure for breaking it boarders on torture, but I have to break the program before we can get rid of it. And when it is all over, he is going to need all of us to help him."

"So, wait, we either have to sign off on his torture or sign off on his death?" That was Tosh. "What about Retcon?"

"It doesn't work." Owen said. "I went through the chemical records and the brain waves. We could blitz him all the way back to short pants and the project would remain." Owen frowned. "The only reason it showed up on the serum is that Ianto's flight or fight response had kicked in after the whole Lisa thing. Normally this program is buried so deep in the subconscious that even the truth serum couldn't reach it until it activated."

"I don't like either option. But I want to try to save him. And I don't want you to end up hating me for what that means."

"So you have to torture him or-"

"Or you can say your goodbyes now." Jack just looked at the rest of his team. "And to be clear, it wouldn't be an execution. It would simply be death by Torchwood. The only option of the ugly options. But I think Ianto is strong enough to recover if I break it. And it has to be me. I'm the threat. And if he ends up hating anyone I would rather it be me."

"If it came down to that, how would you?"

Jack shrugged. But they knew the stiff shrug he used was more of an 'undecided' than 'don't know.' "I wanted to give you all the chance to either sign off on it or say your goodbyes, because if we take that option we have to do it soon. Now that he knows we have discovered the program his response is going to escalate."

"And you are sure those are the only two options?"

Jack nodded. "I was their case study for it. They used me to develop the Deep Training protocols. They tortured Ianto for months to get the program to stick, they drugged him out of his mind, and in fact, the only reason he survived the tower is because he was in the lower levels being tortured,"

"What?" That was most of the team together.

"He was not at his post when London fell, he was in the lower levels because of his programming. The scars on his body, only some of them are from the cybermen, the rest are from the torture he was put through on a yearly basis."

"Yearly?"

"They have to update the program." Jack's body was tense. He had been hoping this would be an easy argument, but neither choice was good.


	3. Deep Program

CHAPTER ONE

Notes

AU- What if there was something more dangerous than a Cyberman in Torchwood three? How far would Jack go to save Ianto? Just what is Jack capable of? And what is Ianto's secret?

#

**I do not own Torchwood. Captain Jack and all the others are not mine, never will be mine. No money is being made, no permission is asked, only forgiveness.**

**I don't know how but it will all work out in the end**

**Reviews gladly wanted.**

**WARNING!**

**THIS FIC IS DARK! There will be some bad things done. This plot bunny wouldn't leave me alone. And it boils down to this: If Hartman was as bad as we are led to believe why didn't she have a contingency plan? **

CHAPTER TWO

Deep Program

CHAPTER THREE

Good luck

Everyone sat around the table. All eyes were fixed on Ianto who was still out cold.

"I-" Tosh was the first to speak. "I don't like either option, but I feel like death would be the wrong thing, He kept his secrets because we didn't ask. We didn't even notice that he was keeping us all at a distance."

"He hid a cyberman in the lower levels" Gwen was matter-of-fact.

"But he bought into the lie," Owen said. "Hell, for all we know they told him that it was possible to cure her, and that they would give him the cure if he just kept the faith." Owen shook his head. "I don't like what he did, but he loved her enough to risk everything, I don't think killing him for that would be anything short of murder."

"I will take him back to the cells. In about twenty minutes he is going to wake up. If you have anything you want to say to him, good or bad, say it before you get off work tonight." Jack sighed. "No one works late tonight. Go home."

Tosh stood outside Ianto's cell. He'd been awake for the last twenty minutes, she could tell, but neither of them had said a word. "If-" Ianto's voice cracks. "If things don't go well, tell my sister that it was the Terrorist attacks?" The words were a plea.

She nodded. "You are strong, It won't come to that."

"I flatlined twice while they put it in." The words almost couldn't be heard they were so low.

"You'll be fine."

"Don't hate Jack. He really has no other choice."

"I won't"

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Gwen just stood and looked at him like a bug in a jar. The look on her face was somewhere between pity and disgust. "I'm sorry Gwen."

"I'll bet."

"I really am." Ianto stood and came over to the clear wall, putting his hand against it. "I'm sorry you had to come in like that. Death by Torchwood, and I'm sorry that you will probably have to see me go out like that. Hate me if you want. But just go easy on Jack."

"Easy? Look where his libido got him."

"It's not like that."

Gwen made a noise.

"Oi, teaboy, you leave me to get my own coffee now you git?" The smile colored the sarcasm.

"With all due respect to your profession Owen, you are fired."

"Fired?"

"I don't want you to have to see-" Ianto's voice cracked. "And I sure as hell don't want you having to put me back together."

"You bloody well believe I will." Owen said. "You'll live."

Ianto didn't remember the door opening, but he woke to find Jack sitting next to him in the cell. "The sedative is still in your system, so it is safe enough for me to be here."

"Jack-"

"Shh." Jack swallowed hard. "Is it programming or do we actually mean something?"

"Jack- I"

"I don't know if I can kill you if I have to."

"You can."

"I couldn't let her kill you."

"What?"

"Lisa should have killed you." Jack sighed and put his head in his hands. "I saw you not moving, not breathing, and I-" Jack put his head down. "I promised myself, after last time I wouldn't let anyone get close. Not ever. It hurts to much to watch them go,"

"You know you don't have to.- I mean, if you told them what happened I'm sure Unit would oblige." It had been done before when Agents couldn't take out one of their own. Unit had been called to dispatch them.

"No, If that is how it has to happen, it should be me."

"Jack, I forgive you."

"I know. I know you do and Damnit that is what makes it harder."

"They told me that if I joined the Program, they would protect her. They told me that they would leave lisa and my family out of it. My life for theirs." Ianto took a deep breath. "They left a sum of money for them. I dumped it into a Torchwood Slush fund."

"What?"

"Blood money." Ianto said. "I couldn't give them blood money. I bought one of the Standard Policies with Torchwood money, Just promise me I don't go down as a Traitor to the Crown. That's all I ask."

"I promise."

Ianto turned and kissed Jack. Holding on to him. He tried to put as much sincerity into it as he could. "I love you Jack. And that isn't Programming."

Jack clung to him trying to remember the scent of him, trying to steel himself for those welsh vowls in pain that he knew he was the cause of. Tried to ready himself for the pleading, the begging, and the bargaining that he knew would have to fall on deaf ears. "I'm sorry."

Ianto barely felt the pinch as the blackness engulfed him again.

"Good luck." He knew this might be the last time he ever talked to the Welshman. If this went badly, if the final protocol triggered, Ianto might kill himself to try to take out Jack.

#

CHAPTER FOUR

For your own good.

Ianto awoke suspended by his wrists from the celing. He wasn't sure if he was somewhere in the bowels of Torchwood, or if he was somewhere else. The bindings on his wrists were worn leather, and his fingers could feel scratches marring the surface. "JH" he traced the lines.

Jack sat across the room, jacket hung on a peg near the door. Webly on the table nearby. The room was dark, damp and smelled of dust and disuse.

Ianto could feel the throbbing ache in his arms from having hung there a while.

"You with me?"

Ianto's eyes focused on his. He held up an artifact. "A baraxian stun gun." The four-foot-long rod had small points on one end.

Jack held it up and let it crackle. "I tuned it for Human brainwaves. It will cause lots of pain, but it shouldn't kill you."

Ianto tried to open his mouth to speak, but he wasn't quite sure what he was going to say.

"And that is the Juice of a Jamfir flower I added to the water. Makes it much harder to concentrate, lowers inhibition, increases pain." Jack smiled. "Over all a good addition to party drinks but dangerous for those that like to play kinky games."

The smile was almost sincere. "Tell me about Blue Shield."

"You are not authorized."

The Stun gun came in contact with Ianto's leg causing him to scream as the burning sensation engulfed him, spreading out from the nerve in his leg. Ianto screamed.

"That's level one."

"Now tell me about Blue shield."

"You are not authorized."

The stun gun came against his shoulder causing Ianto to jerk as the feeling of fire engulfed him. The blue energy crackled a little longer this time, causing his scream to get higher. "What is Blue Shield?" Jack shouted, this time not giving him time to respond before pushing the stun gun against his other shoulder and holding it for a five count. He turned and walked around behind him.

"What is it Ianto?"

The voice was quiet behind him, and when there was no response, the stun gun touched the back of his neck causing Ianto to twitch and scream.

"Fight it. I don't want to have to cause you permanent damage to break this thing."

"You are not authorized."

Jack continued to walk around him, sometimes whispering the question like a seduction, sometimes shouting it. Sometimes Ianto would feel a brush of skin on his bare back or a slight squeeze on his shoulder, other times it was a sharp blow to the ribs, or a jab with the stun gun.

"C'mon."

"Not Authorized."

Jack held the probe to Ianto's head and turned it on until he passed out.

Ianto woke slowly. His head hurt. Jack stood in one of the shafts of light looking like a demon.

"Hey, handsome" Jack said as the eyes focused on him again.

"Harrassment." Ianto said. His voice was scratchy but he could still talk. Jack took a moment to give Ianto a mouthful of water. The rest was dumped unceremoniously over his head. The damp room was much colder.

Eventually, Jack pulled something out of his pocket. "There are a lot of things you can find in the backwaters of the universe." A small metal circlet came to light and Jack slid it over Ianto's head. The circlet tightened.

Jack smiled. This was the smile of a vulture. The smile that made Ianto shiver more than the cold in the room.

"A jagasi Warrior's band." Jack said. "They have these footsoldiers, very loyal. Their last act before becoming soldiers is to murder their entire household. And these bands are what allow them to do it."

Ianto saw something in Jack's hand. "You see, these things are a two-part training device. The first part, the band, is a mind probe. It digs down into the subconscious and allows the controller to move you without your will. And the second part is the glove." Jack raised his right hand to show the silver glove. It shimmered like it might be made of matalic mesh. "It allows the user to Reprimand the wearer when they do not do well."

Jack clenched a fist and Ianto screamed as arcs of energy washed over him from the circlet. Jack opened his hand. "Making a fist give non-directed energy. Jack closed his hand again causing Ianto to scream and writhe. He opened his hand and ran two fingers down Ianto's bare back, causing him to shiver. "Tell me." Jack whispered in his ear like sweet nothings.

"The other way it causes pain is by coming in contact with the user's skin. The amount of skin contact, and the force applied can change the quality of the pain." Jack smiled. "This is my version of the carrot and the stick."

"Tell me about blue shield. Why am I a Target?" Jack whispered as he leaned forward to kiss him.

"Not-"

Jack kissed him again, putting his hand over Ianto's heart as he pulled away.

Ianto bucked back as the energy laced through him. The pain was so much that all he could do was try to breathe.

Jack kissed him again. "Tell me." Jack was in his personal space. Breathing on him, running his hands over him.

"Tell me." Jack kissed him again, and then when he still got no reply ran his gloved hand over Ianto's chin as if to stroke it. Ianto jerked his head back. Jack reached to hold Ianto's chin in his hand again, this time with his left though. When there was no response Jack ran his fingers along Ianto's shoulders, tracing the contour of the bones.

"Doctor." Ianto Finally gasped.

Jack pulled his hand away.

"What?" The answer seemed to surprise him.

He moved away from Ianto. The young man sagged against his bonds.

There was a long moment of silence."Not"

Jack's hand descended again. This time the blow came across his back, and the energy lanced out from the circlet and gathered where Jack's hand was held flat to his back. "WHY?"

Ianto drew in a deep breath. Jack stepped closer again. "WHY?"

"The DOCTOR!" Ianto yelled.

Jack lifted his hand.

Ianto was panting. "You."

"What?"

Ianto screamed as his internal conditioning kicked in, preventing him from speaking. Jack's hand descended again causing Ianto's scream to turn into a wail. Finally he was silent.

"Protect. Enemy." Ianto managed to say. For a moment, there was no pain as the nerves recovered from the shock to the system.

Jack was watching carefully, weighing each jolt, knowing that he had to overload the nervous system just right or the programming would only be stronger than ever.

Jack stepped back. "Because I protect the doctor?"

Ianto nodded. "Kill you." Ianto screamed as his programming tried to prevent him from speaking. "Because you won't capture or kill. Doctor."

Jack stepped forward to kiss him. His bare hand burying itself in Ianto's hair. "What are your orders?" Jack continued to kiss him. Distracting him. "Tell me," he breathed

Ianto was silent a long time, his body beginning to shiver as he tried to fight his own program.

Jack ran the tips of his fingers across Ianto's back, making him writhe.

"Infiltrate, destroy."

"Not kill?" Jack kissed him.

"Keep. Pain." Ianto said between kisses.

Jack leaned in for a kiss, moving his hand to Ianto's ribs, leaving it there.

Ianto screamed, his arms twitching as he tried to pull Jack to himself, wanting to be close to him. Understanding why the pain was there, and the pain cleared his head a bit, allowing him to speak without the program sending waves of pain through his nerves. The program felt like spikes driven through his joints. It was one of the reasons he walked so gingerly.

"Not kill?" Jack repeated as he kissed Ianto, hands sliding across his back, burning and soothing in maddening circles.

"You. Don't. Die." Ianto said.

Jack walked away from him a moment, trying to get his head around it.

"So you were not here to kill me?"

"Not-"

The glove slid down his back causing him to try and arch away.

"Destroy. Any means."

There was a very long pause before Ianto spoke again. "Not alone."

"What?"

"I can feel it Jack, they want me to keep the other names, they want me to just shut down and let them take the only protection we have."

"Someone at the top."

"Did they survive?"

"Not Torchwood." Ianto smiled. "Want control of what Torchwood has."

"Do me a favor Jack."

"Ok?"

"Knock me out." Ianto laughed. "Haven't slept well in weeks."

Jack closed his right fist and placed it to Ianto's head. A moment later the welshman sagged against his bonds, and for the first time in days, looked peaceful.

#

CHAPTER FIVE

Request

"Jack." Ianto's voice was scratchy, horse from the screaming. It was barely a whisper.

"I'm here."

"You have to break it, you have to break me."

"But-

"Yes, it probably will, but there may be another way. A way to save us all."

Jack was looking up at him now. The angry red welts, and the blue bruises were hard to look at, but this was the price that Ianto was willing to pay to save Jack. To save Torchwood.

"What do you mean?"

"There are others. You were not the only target."

"Is it broken?"

"No, but I've gotten used to some pain." Ianto smiled. "I used to see just how far I could go before it got unbearable."

"How can you help?"

"A list of names, hidden among the dead." Ianto closed his eyes, it was hard to believe what he was saying. "Let me get them. They trust me."

What do you need.

"Artifact. TL-1375"

The shock bracelet?"

"Put it on me, let me work, let me get the names, I know how to spot them." He took a deep breath. "And if the system takes over, it will put me down till I can control it again."

"Then what?"

"Protocol."

"No-"

"Jack, they are terrorists. If they get picked up..."

"Failsafe?"

Ianto nodded. "They will kill anyone who threatens them." Ianto just looked at Jack. "And then,-"

"We will deal with that later."

Ianto nodded. He knew the same that Jack did. It had been four days, the odds of being able to break it without killing him was almost non existant. "When they are dealt with, we can talk about me."

"How many?" Jack changed the subject.

"Nearly a dozen."

Jack thought about it. It wasn't that he didn't know if he could trust Ianto, it was that he didn't want Ianto to have to betray friends. To possibly have to kill them.

"Just promise me something - actually two somethings."

"Ok." Jack ran a hand down Ianto's face, thumb resting on his cheek. "Anything,"

"If it comes to it-"

"No."

"Jack, let me talk. I know the odds. I do. I know that it's been two years since the original program went in, and short of killing me there may not be anything you can do." Ianto shook. "Please Jack, just promise me. If it has to happen it will be you. And that you won't let me see it coming."

Jack thought about it. His heart quailed at the possibility of having to kill Ianto, but he wasn't the only target. All of Torchwood might be at stake. And the boy wasn't begging for his life, just that the man who loved him didn't make him see that look. He didn't want to see *that* look again. The one Jack had worn when he had told Ianto he would execute him. He was willing to die for Torchwood, as long as Jack didn't consider it treason. He couldn't, Jack realized, die with Jack hating him.

"If it comes to that."

Jack finally hugged Ianto to him, lifting him to loosen the straps around the wrists and allowing him to slip the cut and bruised wrists out of the loops. He kissed the wrists as he massaged them gently to bring back feeling.

He gently lifted Ianto up and carried him out of the room. A room Jack hadn't been in in nearly a hundred years, the room where Torchwood had tortured him to within an inch of his sanity.

Gently he carried him back to the hub. And then down to his room. Carefully Jack got out water and rags and started to wash Ianto. He cleaned the blood, he scrubbed gently at the dirt, grime, and other things on Ianto. "I will let you soak a little later." He continued to gently clean him, inspecting every inch of his body for brusies and cuts. "Let's get you cleaned up, and get you food. Then you will get one last night of normal."

Ianto nodded, understanding what Jack was saying, and what he wasn't, that Jack wanted to give him one good night to hang on to, just in case.

"You really would give me my request?"

"Yes Ianto. As much as it would kill me, it would be the only thing I could do. You have more than paid for your treasons."

"No, Jack, you have no idea. None at all what they have made me do."

"I'll put the bracelet on tomorrow."

"Good."

Ianto knew that was as much of the plan as he could let Jack know. He knew that he would escape, and he knew that Jack would keep it quiet.


	4. Second Option

CHAPTER ONE

Notes

CHAPTER TWO

AU- What if there was something more dangerous than

AU- What if there was something more dangerous than a Cyberman in Torchwood three? How far would Jack go to save Ianto? Just what is Jack capable of? And what is Ianto's secret?

#

CHAPTER THREE

I do not own Torchwood. Captain Jack and all the others

**I do not own Torchwood. Captain Jack and all the others are not mine, never will be mine. No money is being made, no permission is asked, only forgiveness.**

**I don't know how but it will all work out in the end**

**Reviews gladly wanted.**

**WARNING!**

**THIS FIC IS DARK! There will be some bad things done. This plot bunny wouldn't leave me alone. And it boils down to this: If Hartman was as bad as we are led to believe why didn't she have a contingency plan? **

CHAPTER FOUR

Second option

CHAPTER FIVE

One last night

Ianto was nearly asleep when Jack came back in. He was carrying a tray of food and he sat on the floor next to the bed.

"I'm sorry."

Ianto pulled himself into a seated position, the tray resting on his lap. "So I thought I would give you dinner in bed."

"Dinner?"

"It's just gone nine." Jack said. We had two days of fifteen hour days so I sent people home early." Jack smiled and pointed to the food. "I got us Dim sum. We were supposed to go out for it the night everything happened."

Ianto smiled as he pulled the rice paper off a Pork Bao and stuck it to Jack's forehead. "YOu do keep your promises sir."

"And you still look good in a suit."

"Harrassment."

They both laughed, surprised at how easily they both slid back into the easy rhythm of their friendship, and other things. "You know I didn't mean what I said."

"I know you should have." Ianto said. "She was a threat, and I was so busy keeping my own secrets that I didn't see the woman I loved was dead long before."

A testament to Ianto's hunger there was no more talking until he had cleared his plate twice. Four days without food and he was hungry. The spicy, slightly tangy Orange chicken made him smile as he wondered what joke or Innuendo Jack would have used if the situation weren't so dire. They both tried to forget that this might be his 'last night' but there was still that heavy, silent tension neither one of them could break.

Which is why Ianto was surprised when he had finished his meal and Jack took the tray away. Instead of leaving him to sleep, Ianto found himself being kissed desperately. Jack's hands twined in his hair. Jack grabbed Ianto's hands before he had a chance to do anything.

"I have a lot to make up for." Jack started the kisses at the jawbone, mirroring the red swipe that still marred his cheek, and then he moved down to the neck, his hands smothing out the skin of his back before Jack started kissing and nipping at the collar bone, following the line of an angry red burn that had caused Ianto to nearly stop breathing.

He continued on, licking the deep blue bruise that adorned the left side of the ribcage, before turning his attention to the cut on the right side. Jack had tried to keep his temper in check, but during the first day, a few times it had gotten the better of him, and he had drawn blood without meaning to.

Ianto yelped when Jack nipped at a red spot on his side, his hands sliding down, the tips just brushing the injuries making the skin prickle at the closeness. Ianto shivered as much from the pleasure as being able to relax.

Jack kissed him, turning him over planting a kiss on his left temple where the faint outline of a bruise could still be seen, and then Jack began again, kissing the red mark on the shoulders, and the line across the right shoulder blade that still stood red against the skin,

Licking at the deep black bruise on the ribs, from where he had punched him, once when his anger had gotten away with him. His hands slid over the skin, making Ianto shiver as the air moved hot and cold from kisses, caresses and gentle breaths. Each kiss, or lick was a silent appology, and a reassurance, Jack confirming that as bad as it looked, Ianto was ok.

Ianto felt warmth on his back and realized that Jack had poured massage oil on him. Gently, the hands that had hurt him began to work their way across the bruises, and take the pain from the knots in the shoulders, and relax the muscles that had bunched so tightly that Ianto hadn't realized he was breathing shallowly until the pressure eased under the warm hands, allowing him to breathe.

"You are so beautiful Ianto. I hated it, It felt like I was destroying a Van Gough."

Ianto didn't speak, lost in the warm, familiar feeling of those hands.

The hands moved to the lower back, kneeding and rolling away the pain, before the fingers trailed over the buttox on their way to the thighs and calves. "Don't want to get you worked up yet. Enough time for that later."

The kneeding continued, uncramping the thighs and calves that had knotted up in the four days of being suspended with most of his weight on his arms. Ianto sighed as those same hands worked the knots out of the feet that only a few hours ago had tried to kick Jack repeatedly. He had known what Jack was doing, and why, but it didn't stop the program from making him fight.

Finally Jack rolled him back over, noticing the half-lidded eyes he chuckled. Now the licks and nips were teasing, as Jack slid a hand down Ianto's thigh, feeling the sudden rush of blood as the familar touches and sounds began to overpower his exhaustion.

Jack knew exactly what he was doing. He planned to give Ianto a night he would never forget, and screw him into a welcome oblivion. He knew about the dreams Ianto never spoke about, and now, knowing about the program, he knew what those dreams were. He knew why Ianto had been so Terrified and yet so resigned when he had leveled the gun at him. According to torchwood, he was as good as dead.

Now, all Jack could do was tire him out, let him get a few hours of exhausted sleep before he decided what to do with him. Of course Ianto was right, he should have called Unit. But this was how it had to be.

#

CHAPTER SIX

Scheme

Owen had been working on the problem since it had come up. He had pulled all of the files and had even done some deep brain scans of Jack to try and understand what the Deep programming had done to Jack. And he had come to the conclusion that it was not reversable. Not totally. But he had noticed that Jack's brain was able to re-route around the area affected by the program. So what if he could forge those pathways in Ianto. Force his brain to segregate those pathways and short-circut the system?

He had a handful of ideas, a handful of things that might be useful. But the ones that kept coming back to him were the nanogenes. What if they could specifically re-program them, or maybe some sort of nanobot? He'd have to see what was available, but there was just one problem. Even assuming that it worked, they would need to do major surgery, something the program was prepared for. It would kill him to protect itself.

All of the deep programs were designed that way. Anything too extensive, anything that required high order drugs, the type likely to make you talk, would stop his heart.

Stop his heart. What if?

"Does the suggestion stay in the brain after death? What if you were able to wait it out, like letting the capaciter die before you plugged it back in?

He needed more information.

"What if?" Owen said to himself. He threw aside the file and went to talk to Jack.

"Jack."

"Yes?" he was sitting there, nursing a scotch.

"I need to run another test on you, and then I may have an answer to save Ianto. The problem is, I need to-" Owen waved his hand toward Jack and sighed. "I need to kill you."

Owen should have expected it. The webly was out of the holster and pointed at him almost before he could finish the words.

"Jack, listen. I need a brain scan while you are out. And if it says what I think it will, it means I'll be able to save Ianto."

"You are serious?"

"Yeah."

"How?"

"Not sure it matters, just need the brain scan."

"When?"

"Soon, before things get too out of hand."

"I'll come down to autopsy."

Owen nodded.

Jack had never been a good patient. And Owen, being a doctor, hadn't believed his "I'm immortal Shctick until he had seen Jack killed on a weevil hunt. "Ok, before this happens," Owen said, "I need one more thing."

"What?" Jack looked resigned. He hated being poked and prodded.

This is for Ianto he reminded himself. He was willing to do anything for Ianto.

"I need to put you into a suggestive state."

Hypnotyzing jack was actually pretty hard, which is why he had to have Jacks consent. "I need to test something."

It took Owen three tries and some heavy-duty drugs to implant the suggestion. In the end he had decided on a vocal trigger. That way there was less chance that Jack could kill him for it later.

Owen clicked his fingers causing Jack to begin to laugh uncontrollably. Owen clicked them again and he fell silent. Right now, blackmail was the last thing on his mind. He wanted to save the god-damned tea boy, he told everyone it was just because he didn't want to get his own coffee, but he had to admit, he sorta felt sorry for the kid.

"Ok, that's set."

Owen loaded a syringe and gave Jack a massive dose of Painkillers, enough of an overdose to kill him pretty quickly.

Owen always felt like a twat when he had to kill Jack, even though he knew Jack didn't die, it still went against his doctor's ethic.

Owen watched, Jack's wrist held in his fingers as he kept track of the fading pulse. Owen had to stiffen to prevent the years of medical training from kicking in. Knowing there was nothing else he could do, he simply waited.

It was nearly five minutes later that Jack opened his eyes. The air rushed back into him with a pained gasp, and Owen had to steady him before he flailed himself off the table.

Owen clicked his fingers in front of Jack's face, only to have Jack raise his eyebrows.

"YES!" Owen did a bit of a victory dance before settling down a bit.

He checked the readings, waiving at Jack to hush while he did a few computations.

"There may still be a way to save Ianto."

"What?"

"Jack. I have a scheme and it may work. With the readings I just got, It may just be crazy enough to work."

"What do you mean?"

"That is why I needed that test." Owen helped him sit up and waited until he had crossed the area and put on the greatcoat again. "I may have found a way around the program. Deep program is keyed to certain receptors, if key sequences, like those for heavy narcotics or Anastesia are detected, and the program knows it is a target, it will trigger a reaction that will kill the patient, wiping itself from the carriers mind."

"Yeah," Jack shrugged. "So?"

"So, we kill Ianto." Owen took a step back and held up his hands.

"What?" The word was ice.

"Listen. What if we could stop his heart long enough for the system to think him dead. Then we bring him back. The program is supposed to protect him until he dies. After death it would disable itself so that we can't get a good engram of it. It's one of the reasons we had such a hard time figuring out how they did it. It blitzes itself as soon as the electrical activity stops."

"He died when the Cyber got him didn't he? Why wouldn't the last time have done it?"

"Two reasons, firstly, his program wasn't active then. And secondly, he wasn't out that long. The residual energy was still there. If we did it we'd have to leave him out a while. Long enough that we'd probably have to shock him back."

"How long?

"Three minutes, maybe more. I'd be able to tell for sure with a scanner. But it comes with the risk of him not coming back, or if he does he could be 'altered.'

"But?"

"As far as I have seen it is the only thing that will actually work."


	5. protocol

CHAPTER ONE

Notes

CHAPTER TWO

AU- What if there was something more dangerous than

AU- What if there was something more dangerous than a Cyberman in Torchwood three? How far would Jack go to save Ianto? Just what is Jack capable of? And what is Ianto's secret?

#

CHAPTER THREE

I do not own Torchwood. Captain Jack and all the others

**I do not own Torchwood. Captain Jack and all the others are not mine, never will be mine. No money is being made, no permission is asked, only forgiveness.**

**I don't know how but it will all work out in the end**

**Reviews gladly wanted.**

**WARNING!**

**THIS FIC IS DARK! There will be some bad things done. This plot bunny wouldn't leave me alone. And it boils down to this: If Hartman was as bad as we are led to believe why didn't she have a contingency plan? **

CHAPTER FOUR

Protocol

CHAPTER FIVE

Names

Ianto tried not to mess with the bracelet. It was heavy on his wrist, and he kept it covered. He didn't think he would need it, but he was afraid, terrified actually, that being around others like him might cause his system to activate, and the last thing he wanted to do was kill another person he knew.

He watched as the list of names flashed by. Some of them sparking memories, others, not. It was only the ones that sparked something that he pushed aside.

"Rachel Denning." He said, following the trail of the memory. She was a tech, worked in the Applied sciences devision. No, she wasn't a sleeper, she had died trying to rescue him. He closed the door on the memory before it could come back.

It was two names down when he found it, he had organized the list by division because he knew there were some that were just too valuable to be exposed to a project like that. "Michael Devon." He put a check next to his name and put his name through the program tosh had set up before moving on to the next name. In all there were nine names.

Four of them he knew, they had been in his batch. Two others were in the batch before him, one in the batch after, and two, he knew were involved but couldn't work out when they had come in.

Along with their names, he knew their specialties. It wasn't until the third day, when he had managed to more or less hack his own program, that he had realized that Jack was not the only target. Martha Jones was also a target, Amy and Rory Pond were also targets, along with Micky Smith. Some of the other targets were gone.

Donna Noble was also still a target. Anyone who had been traveling with the Doctor. But if Jack hadn't been doing that he never would have been able to dig down deep enough to find the program. By making himself a current threat, Jack had given Ianto the time he needed to work on the program. Because there was something that Jack hadn't told the rest of them. Torture would never break it, ever. But the pain would allow the user to short-circuit the reprimand and the psychosomatic pain it caused long enough to be able to consciously remember the program. Once his conscious mind could break it, he was able to pull up the repressed memories of the program itself, of all the things they had told him, of the pictures they had drilled into his subconscious. And he had found something that even he hadn't known was there. He knew where to look for the evidence to dismantle the whole project.

Of course if word got back to Her Majesty that Torchwood had him in custody and let him go, it might lose the charter and its funding. Part of the plan, no doubt. It looked like an attack from one branch of Torchwood to another, but having hacked his own program, he knew the truth. There was someone behind it. A very powerful someone who wanted to gut both Unit and Torchwood, and kill or capture the Doctor.

#

CHAPTER SIX

Options

As he closed the documents he had been working on, the phone began to ring. Ianto picked it up without even thinking about it. "Torchwood."

The voice that came on the line was one that Ianto knew well, it was the voice of the Queen's personal assistant. "Please hold for her majesty."

Ianto sat straighter as if she could see his posture through the phone.

"It has come to my attention that Torchwood has uncovered a Deep Program?"

He wasn't sure who the leak was, but somehow Ianto knew his goose was well and truly cooked."Yes, your majesty. I was about to go out and deal with it."

"How are we going to deal with this Mister Jones, when it seems to me you might not be the best?"

"Your Majesty, I am the only person who can. I will dispatch the other sleepers, and then I will turn myself over to Captain Harkness."

"Are you saying that you are involved in the project?" Ianto had no doubt that she already knew he did.

"Yes, your majesty, I am the reason Jack found out about it."

"That was your treason?" Jack must have spoken to her, trying to get a bead on what to do. Protocol was not bucked lightly, and it made sense that he might talk to her, after all, she spoke with Ianto more often than anyone.

"Yes, your Majesty." He wasn't about to say that there was more. No, that secret would die with him.

"You are a good Man Ianto Jones." High praise for a traitor.

"Your Majesty, we have been friendly with each other, and I would not presume to use my friendship with you, but might I make a request?"

"Go ahead dear boy."

"I know what the orders say, and I will carry out the orders as written in the Statutes of Torchwood, I just ask that in light of the service rendered to the crown, that it not be made public the reason of the actions taken. When the sealed orders are carried out, I will turn myself over to Captain Harkness without force or threat, all I ask is that I not go down as a traitor."

"Granted." She spoke with the regal tone of voice that she used whenever she was making protocol. "Please get Captain Harkness on the phone."

"Yes, your Majesty."

He handed the phone to jack. "It's the queen, and she wants to talk about blue Shield." Ianto took two steps back, pulling himself out of hearing range.

"Jack Harkness," His normal flirtation was gone, he recognized the gravity of the situation. "He has, yes your Majesty. Complete Protocol, yes. I understand." He paused and frowned. "More than kind your Majesty."

"I will tell him." Those words sounded hollow to Ianto.

Jack hung up the phone. "She says she cannot authorize any backup for you. You will be given sealed orders. If you get picked up, you are on your own to get out. And when you are done, you turn yourself over to me. At which time we will go over our options."

Ianto knew what he wasn't saying. Ianto knew exactly what the Queen had said. That Jack would have to put him down. Protocol One. Death to traitors. "She has also said, that nothing that happens will be made public, not now, not ever. Only those of us here, the Queen herself, and Torchwood will ever know the truth of the matter."

Ianto nodded. "It was about as I figured."

#

CHAPTER SEVEN

An Honor

Ianto stood in the center of the hub. He had said his goodbyes, packed his things, and now, it was time to go.

Just an hour before he had given his speech to the rest of Torchwood, knowing if he ever saw them again, it would be just before the killed him.

"It's been an honor, all of you. I just wish I knew you all better. I wish you had known me before this happened. And, I want you all to know that I would never willingly betray you. None of you."

Tosh had been the first to come to him. She had slipped the lockpick in his pocket and given him a kiss on the cheek. "You stay safe. We want that back."

Ianto smiled. "You too Tosh. Don't get yourself in too much trouble while I'm gone."

She walked out of the hub, looking over her shoulder at Ianto.

And then it was gwen, grinning like the cat that caught the canary. "It's too bad we didn't know each other longer."

"Be careful Gwen, don't let this job make you jaded. And don't lose Rhys."

Ianto smiled. "In fact, you should go to him."

Gwen walked out and didn't look back.

Owen was next, he slid a small field kit in his pocket and pretended to punch him. "You are a right bloody git, forcing us to like you and then doing this. You deserve Jack." Owen handed him a small box. "I signed you out some retcon to help you cover your tracks. Don't lose it."

"You take care of them Owen, they need you."

"You keep yourself in one piece. I don't want any of those bloody gits messing up my friend." He squeezed his shoulder and strode out of the hub trying desperately not to look back. Of all of them Ianto was the only one who seemed to actually understand him. And even though he knew what he and Jack were planning, it didn't make it easier.

And then there was Jack.

"You don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do Jack. Too many of your friends are in danger. And they are in a danger I can get them out of."

"Ianto."

"Jack, you don't know what the program made me do. You don't understand what they made me do, how many times I have betrayed people for the damned program. I have to do this."

Jack held him tightly and kissed him. "You are not immortal, no matter how much fighting the put in there. And you have to come back to me Ianto."

"Wouldn't it be easier if I didn't"

"Who said love was easy Ianto?"

Jack pulled the bracelet off. "This only works within the confines. I expect you back here."

"I know. Just remember what you promised me."

"How can I forget Ianto?"

"It's been an honor."

Jack didn't see the flicker in his eyes, and didn't notice the shift in Ianto's weight, or at least, he told himself he didn't notice. He wasn't sure what Ianto was planning but he knew it involved escape.

Jack nodded, and barely heard the 'I'm sorry," As Ianto's knee contacted with his forehead, and Ianto deftly Grabbed his wrist before it could reach the gun, twisted him around, pinning his arm behind his back, and without more than a pause to kiss Jack's ear, he snapped his neck from behind and ran out of the building.


	6. Second betrayal

CHAPTER ONE

Second Betrayal

CHAPTER TWO

Covert

Ianto blinked. For a moment he had let the program take over. He would have to be more careful in the future. He couldn't afford to leave a swath of dead bodies behind him. But he knew that Jack would put his name in the system as soon as he came back. He would tell Unit and the others that Ianto had escaped, and so anything that he did could not be laid at the feet of Torchwood, but rather, a rogue Agent.

He knew he had at most an hour before Jack called it in, so he had to get off the street and into Unit before that happened. Balancing the two parties against each other was hard. He had sealed orders, if he was captured they insured his freedom until he gave the all clear. But if he got shot on sight before he had a chance to find the sleepers, that didn't help him at all. And he knew, for now, it was safer for him to be wanted by Torchwood than to let the sleepers know he knew.

Finding Unit wasn't that hard. In fact, he literally just walked up to one of their bases and handed over his Torchwood pass. "I need to see Martha Jones."

"We can give her a message."

"I need to see her."

"She is in meetings."

"Can I get some paper?"

"Sure."

Ianto thought about it for a second before writing. "Protocol 40, Doctor Jones is needed in Triage."

"Take it directly to her. Don't bother to read it. If she still doesn't want to see me, I'll leave."

Not more than five minutes later Martha came walking out to meet him, two very irate aids in her wake. "Ianto, good to see you."

"Martha. Wish this was a social call, somewhere we can talk?"

She looked him over for a moment. She knew something was wrong but she shrugged, if he was using that code something was very wrong, and it had to do with the Doctor.

"This way." She led him to an office waiving the two aids off and the two guards who were standing inside.

"No one enters this office. I don't care if it is the Queen Mother herself, got that?"

"Yes ma'am"

"I need you to get ahold of the other companions. Tell them to scatter."

"What?"

"There is a plot to kill all of you. Sleeper agents have been found within some aspects of society and government who have been programmed to kill you and anyone else who has protected the doctor."

"What?"

"In about an hour you are going to hear from Jack that I have escaped and am considered Armed and Dangerous. I can't let them know that we are on to them."

"You?"

"I was supposed to be one of them, but my program activated prematurely. I have control of it for now. But there are two others." Ianto pulled pictures out of his pocket. "I know their real names but they aren't using them. They were declared dead at Canary Wharf, but were not there."

"That one, she is Julia, works in the Protection detail."

"Figures, her specialty is assassination."

"That is Jason, he works comms."

"Tech." Ianto tapped the photo of the dark-haired young woman. "Her target is you. When her system goes live she is supposed to kill you. And Jason is supposed to steal all of the information pertaining to Code nine, and clone your phone. He'll steal it if he can. Clone it if he has to."

"The doctor's number."

Ianto nodded. "They want to make sure that the Doctor can't even think about messing up their plans."

"Why?"

"Because, there is someone in the government who wants access to what Torchwood has. He tried before Canary Wharf and failed so he set up an elaborate system to bring down Torchwood and various others who could stop him."

"Stop him from what?"

"Controlling the government."

"Alien?"

"No, it is a terrestrial threat who has learned how to use Alien artifacts. And he is willing to kill anyone who gets in his way. He is a sociopath of the highest order."

"You know who he is."

"Suspect. But I can't say anything. I need what happens to come as a surprise."

"Ok, what can I do?"

"Tell them to scatter. Tell them not to contact Jack or the Doctor, and don't shoot me on sight."

Martha nodded but looked strangely at him.

"Are you going to do something that would make you expect to be killed?"

"I am under orders from the queen to undo this treason. I have unilateral authority and have been given permission to envoke Protocol one."

"You plan to kill them."

"I don't have a choice Martha. When they find out they are compromised, they will kill anyone who attempts to take them into custody. And they will die before you get anything out of them."

"But kill?"

"Yes Martha. Kill. I know you are a friend of the Doctor, and that specifically is why you were targeted. They will kill you, your family, your Friends, and the Doctor if they can find him. I was supposed to destroy Torchwood."

"What's to keep me from killing you now?"

"All that would do is let the program continue. And besides, that belongs to Jack. He's the one I killed."

#

CHAPTER THREE

Friends

Ianto stood waiting for Julia. He'd seen Martha go running out on an emergency call and was forced to stay behind, or at least that was the story he told everyone.

"Why is she still breathing?"

Ianto's words were clipped, still welsh but a more fierce and sinister kind of accent than he normally had.

"I-I wasn't aware protocol was active."

"Not aware?" Ianto turned, pulling the head researcher persona from his background. "Didn't you hear about the cyber attack? I didn't think I could be more obvious."

"Half of our force is dead Ianto." Three of them had catastrophic failures after the attack, two were discovered and took themselves offline, That just leaves the four of us."

"Three here and one in Downing street." Ianto's words were more of a statement than a question. Which meant that the only ones he had to deal with were these two. "We need to talk about protocol. Do you think that you can still get your target?"

"We can't possibly do it with just the two of us."

"I don't intend to. Identify new users. DO NOT APPROACH. We will need to cover our tracks better than before."

"Understood. Where should we meet?"

"My place. Tonight after shift. It should be locked up after my defection and the cameras are disabled."

She nodded. Bring the other I will take your recommendations to Downing street."

#

CHAPTER FOUR

Last meal

Ianto stirred the pot. It was a given when he invited them over that he fed them. What they didn't know was that this was going to be their last meal. He was going to try to save them, but if he couldn't he'd kill them, it was already a given that he would have to. But he had to try. He owed it to them to try. The same way Jack had tried to save him.

He clicked the remote for the cameras, the recording starting in the hub. He wondered for just a moment, if the team was watching, or if it was only fed to Jack's office. They were going to have their discussion on tape and then he was going to be a good Torchwood agent.

Julia arrived first, bringing a bottle of wine and a stack of papers. The ones on top he knew, were just expense reports. It was the second half of the file that carried the list of names.

He kissed her on the cheek. "My plans were activated prematurely, so we have to regroup."

"But?"

"You know the other option, is that really what you want? To have the Queen herself declare you as a traitor to the crown?"

"No, of course not. You are right, but, it's just..."

"Hard to justify this?"

She nodded. "I mean what we do for queen and country."

He nodded. "But, unfortunately you know she can't be seen to have a hand in this, after all they run under her edict."

Ianto had had this conversation with her before. Whenever the subject of new program members came up, she was the first to say something. She didn't think they had the right to inflict this on them. And while Ianto felt she was right, he had to play the part of the uncaring superior. He was fortunate that both of the ones left as sleepers were lower ranking than him. And Julia at least, had already said enough to get her summarily dismissed from the program.

Jason came in with a salad, their cover of a business meeting intact. Ianto had unboxed the plates and cups, leaving some of the papers on the floor as if he had hurriedly done it. In reality they had been boxed since Canary Wharf, he usually used paper for himself if he was home, but they didn't know that.

"So what names do you have for me?"

"Carla Stevens." Julie started. "Research." She made herself a plate before accepting Jason's plate and making his.

Ianto shooed them away and made himself a plate. "Why her?"

"She's the cousin of the head of black sciences."

"Might be a useful bargaining chip." Ianto took a bite as if considering things. "Have you found a way to pull her away from them?"

"I was thinking the standard black project approach."

"She runs into something she has no business knowing, and then we offer her a way out of the protocol." Julia's words were almost flippant. As if they were not discussing inflicting great bodily harm on one of their own under the guise of Queen and country. She had bought into the program. Partially these questions were proof that the program existed. Partially, they were to clear his own conscience. He had to know before he killed them that there was no way to save them.

"Ethan down in weapons research." Jason said as he looked over the paperwork. He paused to eat a few bites. "I mean he's been exposed to lots of weapons and he's next on the list for Torchwood three if-" Ianto nodded as if it didn't affect him. "Sorry."

"No, good contingency plan. But what is the real reason?" His eyes bored into Jason. "The bastard's a git and he deserves what we will do to him."

Ianto shook his head and smacked Jason hard. "Detach your feelings from this mission. The last time you said something like that you went too far. "

"Shrugged."

"She deserved it, just like Lisa deserved to be left for the Cybermen." Ianto had to clamp down on his reaction, he really hadn't known that she was at work that day because they had assumed something would happen.

Ianto made his face blank. "She was still useful." He made his voice flat.

"Any more names?"

"Kevin Shummer." He's Unit. Got a couple citations for being too thorough."

Ianto nodded. "He might even come willingly."

"Maria and her husband."

"The gearheads?"

"They have some unique abilities."

"Oh really?"

"Level four Psi."

Ianto's eyebrows raised. "Their records were destroyed with One."

"As planned. They are both trained in interrogation. We couldn't let that information out."

"And you dodged a big test."

"What?"

"They had given orders the day that One fell that you were supposed to kill her."

Ianto again had to blank his face to avoid giving away his reaction to the news. The conversation went on through dinner until the twenty names they had discovered were discussed and either accepted or rejected. The documents would then be shredded and Ianto would go to the Downing street agent.

They were sipping his coffee when the two sleepers noticed the first reaction of the drugs he had painted the inside of the coffee cups with. It was enough to slow them down but not enough to kill them outright.

"We've been compromised." Ianto said slowly.

"What are you doing?"

"Following orders." The Ianto that looked at them now was far more dangerous. This was the man they had learned to fear. This was the man who had put the fear of Ianto into them. "If you fight it, things will go badly."

He slid the knife out from under the couch where he had hidden it. "We have been compromised, we cannot allow Torchwood to have access to us alive."

"What did you give us?"

"Just a sedative, to take the edge off. The less you fight the better this will be."

The first blow was almost too fast for people who were not expecting to see let alone deflect. Ianto merely sidestepped, trapping the hand and using the momentum to slam her head into the wall, stunning her.

Jason attacked while he was defending himself, hoping to catch him off guard. The solid blow wouldn't have done much on its own, but it landed on one of the deep black bruises that Jack had inflicted. And that was the point at which the dam broke. Every bit of pain that Jack had inflicted on him was a result of them.

Ianto came to himself to find Julia and Jason on the floor, out cold. It was only then, when the were unconscious that he reached for the gun. It felt wrong doing it that way, but he didn't want to have to take them apart and he knew they would never submit to it.

He moved the figures so that they were on their knees, foreheads resting on their arms, backs to him, he made sure they would never see it coming, the only thing that he could give them, the only peace he could promise them. And that they would never be known as traitors.

The only thing that kept him from turning the gun on himself was the fact that he knew that there was still someone in command, there was someone who could start this all over again. And if this is what it took to pay for his treason, he would do it.

"I'm sorry."

"It is the judgment of the Crown and of Torchwood, that you are traitors to the crown and to the crown's interests It is therefore the judgment of the crown and Torchwood that the Primary Protocol, Order One, to be carried out immediately."

"God have mercy on you soul.'

Ianto fired the gun twice. Dropped it on the floor next to them and clicked the remote that turned off the camera. He was gone before the cops could ever arrive. Of course he didn't know that the police had never been called. Torchwood had.

#

CHAPTER FIVE

Downing Street

It had taken him most of the day to get the meeting he needed. The figure he knew as M. A decidedly masculine use of the letter usually assigned to women. But this one, he was sure belonged to a proper name buried somewhere in the records. This one figure, this scathingly brilliant figure didn't want to stop with just Torchwood, he wanted control of the entire nation.

And he was well on his way to doing it. "The program's been compromised." He handed over the list of names. "I suggest a complete wipe and restart."

"Why would you do that? That would mean your death too."

"I killed the only two other surviving members of the team. Protocol one is in effect."

"Why?"

"Because I had to. The program is compromised."

"Are you going to kill me?"

"Yes sir,"

"Why?"

"To do my duty for Queen and country." Ianto said. The gun that had never been searched for was in his hands. "I have sealed orders from the queen. Everyone dies."

"What about Ianto?"

"I've made arrangements."

"That boy-toy of yours." The figure in the shadows laughed. "He's going to kill you."

"That is the plan. I was picked up for treason. In the review, they came across the program, they followed protocol."

"Except that you are still breathing."

"They gave me an option. Order one, public, and disgrace, or order one, private, and sealed. The price was the lives of the other operatives." He shrugged. "I chose to dismantle the program so that this will never happen again."

The figure laughed. "The program was never going to work. And I knew it. But it would get Torchwood broken. Of course, canary wharf saved me a lot of trouble. And, if it weren't for that pesky Captain, I'd have survived. Bravo. You broke up the program."

"I need the rest of the documents."

"Why?"

"To make sure that never happens again."

Ianto was pretty sure that this man had something up his sleeve. Of course it also helped that he had never seen the man who controlled his fate. He was never more than a shadow and a voice.

But he was absolutely horrified when there was a single gunshot and the figure that he had come to confront slumped over his desk. The window behind the chair was shattered, and his contact lay slumped in a pool of blood, around him the documents of Blue Shield and an address on Baker street being kept under constant surveillance. The security forces were in the room in a moment, and Ianto found himself being manhandled into custody.

He spent time in a cell before being turned over to Torchwood for summary Execution.


	7. Death by Torchwood

CHAPTER ONE

The End?

You don't kill a parliment member and not get some grief for it. But it was finally found after two bouts of interrogation, something Jack was never supposed to find out about, that Ianto never fired. The Parliment member who died was shot from outside the window, and had an earpiece in. Torchwood had suspected him of being a patsy but they were unable in the short conversation, to track it back to the person pulling the strings.

So, finally, Jack and Owen had to recieve Ianto from the guards, and he had to go through the indignity of a prisoner hand off. Jack and Owen put him in the back of the Torchwood SUV, and as soon as the door was closed, Jack pulled the cuffs off.

Ianto was surprised to be brought to the new flat, the one that he had purchased his first week at three. Not the place where he had lived with Lisa, but new, a place he hadn't had a chance to build memories that were far too painful to forget. On the table was a dinner for two.

"What is this?"

"My part of the deal." Jack said. "He shrugged, I may not like it Ianto, but I made a promise. So enjoy your night."

It started with a quiet dinner, all talk of work was banished, as was any talk of what was coming next. As far as both of them were concerned, this was just another night, and they both worked hard to keep the fiction.

This time the lovemaking was slow and passionate. Jack trying to blow Ianto's mind as many times as was possible. Ianto had not clue what else was going on, but if this was to be his last night on earth, he could live with that.

Ianto was surprised to wake up in the morning, a note on the pillow that still faintly smelled of the captain.

"Come to work, wear your good suit."

He smiled and muttered 'Harrassment." Ianto wasn't sure what he had planned but whatever it was, he knew it wouldn't be what he expected. And besides, he reasoned, if he was going to go down, going down in the clothes he was known best for was to be expected.

He arrived at work exactly on time and started to make coffee like always. He couldn't help it, it was just what he did. And if he was going to die, which he had no doubt he would, it was going to be doing his job. Jack had given him a mind blowing night, and now he was working as a dead man.

Jack was two hours late. But when he came in, there was coffee waiting for him. And Ianto had once again faded into the woodwork. The other team members had said their goodbyes, Jack hadn't told them of his plan in case it didn't work. But he didn't care how bad the treason was, Jack couldn't shoot him, he just couldn't. Especially if it was something they wanted to be able to bring him back from.

He and owen had done some more research. Leading to Owen killing him a couple more times until they had what they thought was a sequence that would work. He would drug Ianto, a 51st century compound he kept in case of trouble, it broke down almost immediately, was oderless, tasteless, and killed in half an hour.

After that, they would pop him in the cryo while they prepared things. A week in Cryo should be enough to purge any remaining control drugs from his system, and then they will bring him back, hoping that the death and subsequent cryo should be enough to totally purge the system. But of necessity, the only two who would be present were him and Owen, just in case.

If the program didn't purge, things would get ugly. And he didn't want the rest of the team to see Ianto like that. If this failed he wanted them to remember him as the tea boy they always remembered him to be.

"Ianto, my office, we still have a couple things to discuss."

Ianto sat in the offered chair and the two of them had the talk about arrangements. What was to be expected, and what stories his family would be told. Ianto was nearly finished with his drink before he asked the question that really was weighing on him.

"What about Protocol?" Anyone who had worked at torchwood would have known that to mean 'when will you kill me?'

"Already in effect." Jack nodded toward the glass. "Drink the last little bit." There was a bit of an edge to it, proof that it was a command. "Drink it all."

"Poison?" Ianto wasn't sure if he was impressed or horrified. He looked at the last mouthful of scotch. Drinking it down was harder now that he knew it was poisoned.

Jack looked at his watch, watching the minutes tick down on Ianto's life. "There has been too much blood. I thought you might appreciate that it won't be like that."

Ianto nodded, even executing him, he was trying to save Ianto some dignity. "What can I expect?"

There was silence for a moment as Jack sipped his own drink. It wasn't until Ianto called his name that he finally spoke. He gestured for Ianto to come to him and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him into a kiss.

Jack pulled Ianto into his lap, putting his arms around him to hold him still. "I wish I could say it was totally painless, but nothing compared to what you have been through. Pins and needles, a general lethargy, then you will feel tired. And, once that happens you are in the final stages. If you start to have the worse reactions I'll be able to stop them."

The voice was far too flat, far too clinical to belong to Jack.

"Thank you." Ianto leaned against Jack, his hands buried in the captain's hair, hair he had pulled so roughly the night before, The scent of Jack was enough to calm him as Jack pulled him to his shoulder. He felt the arms tighten as the first spasm hit.

"Shhh." Firm hands rubbed circles on his back. "It's ok."

The hands shifted moving Ianto into a different position and he almost cried out at the lack of contact. Suddenly he felt the hands on him again, but this time flitting between his skin and his pants, and stroking his swiftly hardening erection in his hands. The sensation brought a gasp from Ianto as Jack proceeded to give him a hand job. Jack knew that Ianto had very little time left. And the rising heartrate would speed the reaction, so hopefully he could keep the young man's mind occupied while his body died.

He drew it out as long as he dared, having Ianto mewling and squirming in his lap begging for release, waiting until the heartbeat began to go thready before pushing him over the edge and watching as Ianto whited out in ecstasy, and faded away still clutching his hair.

It took him a moment to gather himself and his composure enough to shift the dead lover off of his lap. It was not the first time he had killed a lover, but it was certainly the most painful.

He forced the tears back into the box labeled Ianto, before cleaning him up and carrying him down to Autopsy where Owen waited.

#

CHAPTER TWO

Aftermath

To his credit Owen didn't ask. He just put a hand on Jack's shoulder and started redying Ianto for cryo. He was going to take a scan before they put him under, and then when they brought him back they would take another.

"You have a few minutes to say your goodbyes." There was a beat. "But I draw the line at necrophelia."

Owen's off-kilter humor pulled a smile out of Jack regardless. It was the only acknowldgement that Owen made of the situation. Five minutes later the two of them loaded Ianto into the cryo chambers. If everything went as planned, it would be a week.

Owen usually complained about getting to work this bloody early, but not today. Today was the day that they checked on tea-boy. If he was ok, they would give him a couple weeks off to process, but after that, he should be fine.

"Jack, this mixture we gave him it could stop his heart again. And if it does, I gotta keep it stopped long enough to make sure it doesn't stick. So I need you to take it easy. He might not know you when he first comes to. That's pretty normal.

Owen started the revival process, and pushed something to the side in hopes he wouldn't need it. It was a pretty potent cocktail that could take down almost anything, but if the program was still on, all it would do is slow him down long enough for Owen to take the shot.

The first reactions weren't good. Ianto jumped and twitched almost as soon as his brain waves started coming back. Finally, with nothing else he could try short of killing him again, He doubled the dose of blockers. His heartrate crashed and he spent the next ten minutes trying to get him back.

Owen was just about to give up in despair when Ianto began to breathe again. Gasping back into sinus rhythm. Owen held him down until the fit passed. "Easy tea-boy."

"What is the last thing you remember?"

"The cells. Lisa."

Owen nodded. "You had a bad reaction."

"When?"

"When what?"

"When are you going to execute me?"

His voice was hollow. He didn't really feel like he wanted to die, not anymore.

"Sentence has been commuted." Jack said. "You are hereby sentanced to Life in Torchwood."

"Life?"

"Yes. You ever pull a stunt like that again and I may just kill you. But I know why you did it." Jack helped him sit up slowly. "You loved her, and there is no crime in that. But you burned a lot of bridges, you hid yourself from us, the people whose job it is to trust you."

Jack stepped back. "So persuant to that order, you will be suspended a further three weeks. During which time you will get a life outside of torchwood. You may interact with any of the Torchwood staff, but all work is taboo for another three weeks.

It was two hours after Ianto had woken up in Autopsy, the chill of death seeped deep into his bones. He was standing in the shower inspecting the deep black bruises, and a few of the others that had began to turn yellow. He didn't know where they had come from, but he knew the shape and size of those hands. Somehow he knew Jack had done this, and he wondered what had happened. Had he awakened jack from one of his nightmares? He blushed as the next thought followed quickly on the first. Had they gotten carried away with a game?

Warm hands wrapped around him from behind, pinning him to wall. "I did those."

"Why?"

"To save you."

"To save me? From what?"

"From something so evil we had to kill it to save you. We weren't even sure we could get you back. I was so terrified that when you woke up, that would be all you remembered. Me, hurting you, trying to find a way to bring you back."

"I'm cold."

The arms wrapped around him tighter, pulling him in full skin contact as Jack whispered one of the few welsh phrases he knew into Ianto's ear. Loosely translated as 'fuck me now," Ianto colored almost head to foot.

"Harrassment." Ianto said.

"I don't care."

Jack's method of warming him up started with gentle kisses, and progressed to getting dirty in the shower before he very carefully cleaned every inch of him. And then, once out of the shower, both still starkers, they collapsed into the bed with a desperation that frightened Ianto a bit. But he knew, somewhere inside, Jack might hurt him, but it was only because sometimes that was the only way to save him from himself.

If at the end of the three weeks, he was standing a little more stiffly around the captain, it was because the captain was trying everything in his power to make the young man blush in public. And there were days, though few, where he would wake, screaming, begging for Jack to stop, and he would see the knife those words put into Jack's heart, but he would let Jack hold him anyways.


End file.
